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Synopsis

The Supreme Court was informed today by a devotee that he was facing problems while his Kanwar Yatra as eateries named Maa Durga Dhaba and Maa Saraswati Dhaba were serving non-veg food also.

"I am facing a problem..the diet food that we take is supposed to be without onion and garlic..but we enter eateries named Maa Durga Dhaba and Maa Saraswati Dhaba and there are persons there serving non-veg food also..owners who want to display names voluntarily may be allowed to display..", a bench of Justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti was told.

Another devotee before court submitted that many owners had removed the names previously displayed, post the court's stay order.

"But our order does not say that, we have just said that they would not be forced to display..", the bench clarified.

State of UP, represented by Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi also told court that "There is a central law that photo id of owner has to be put on display...Kanwariyas are only in these three states, not in the south..". Rohatgi further asked the bench to hear the matter on coming Monday.

While refusing to do so, Court has granted a week's time for Uttarakhand and MP to file their reply, along with two weeks extra for rejoinders to the same.

Yesterday, Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court that the directive issued by the Muzaffarnagar police to all food sellers to disclose nameplate was temporary in nature to ensure public safety, order, and transparency to protect sentiments of 'Kanwariyas' who take only 'sativik' foods during their 'yatra' in 'Shravan' month.

In an affidavit, the state government maintained the press release was issued on July 17, 2024 solely in the interest of ensuring a peaceful completion of the Kanwar Yatra, in which more than 4.07 Crores of Kanwariyas participate annually. 

State of UP has further pointed out, traffic restrictions are in place all over the State during the holy festivals of Muharram and Eid (in fact, as is well known, arrangements are made for village fairs for the sale and purchase of goats during that period). Even the movement of pigs is restricted, as it would offend the religious sensibilities of the minority community, which by and large, consider pigs unclean and do not partake of pig meat, court has been told.

On Monday, the top court had stayed the enforcement of directives issued by the state government of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, directing the shop owners along the Kanwar Yatra route to display their names & issued notices on the petitions filed by Association of Protection of Civil rights as well.

Case Title: Association of Protection of Civil Rights vs. State of Uttar Pradesh